Safety cut-out



(N0 Modem 0. OPFRELL.

SAFETY CUT-OUT. I

No. 500,601. 0 Patented July 4, 1893.

UNITED STATES OLOF OFFRELL, OF MIDDLETOWVN,

CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE SCHUYLER ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF CONNECTICUT.

SAFETY CUT-OUT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 500,601, dated July 4, 1893.

A nmmn filed December 5, 1892.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, OLOF OFFRELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Middletown, in the county of Middlesex and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Cut-Outs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to fuse boxes for protecting branch circuits leading off from a main circuit, as is common in electric light wiring.

Its object is to improve and simplify the construction of the box, to provide against the formation of arcs, and to facilitate making the connections.

The invention consists in a double-pole, double-branch cut-out, ashereinafter set forth and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings,-Figure 1 is a longitudinal section, on line l-1, Fig. 3. Fig. 2 is a perspective view, with the cover partly broken away. Fig. 3 is a front elevation, showing only a portion of the cover; and Fig. i is a rear elevation.

The box A is molded or cast in one piece of suitable insulating material, such as porcelain. It is divided into two compartments by a longitudinal partition or septum A. At each end of each compartment is a recess a, at, extending out through the end of the box. The recesses a are separated from their compartments by a lateral septum A running out preferably from the septum A, and having preferably a shorter portion A at right angles to itself.

On the side of each septum A opposite to the recess a, a hole a is formed through the back of the box, said holes intersecting deep parallel grooves a a extending across the back of the box, preferably transverse to the length thereof. In each hole a, is fitted a metallic block I3, projecting into the groove a a, and having means for attaching a line wire, preferably a hook I) to receive the wire, and a set screw b to clamp it. The blocks B, therefore, constitute line poles. Each block has a flange b which lies in its compartment of the fuse-box, where it is fastened by screws B passed through holes in the back of the box and tapped into the flange.

In each recess a, a, is a metallic block 0,

drilled to receive the end of a branch wire,

Serial No. 454,205. (No model.)

and provided with a binding screw 0. A screw C is tapped into the block through a hole in the back of the box, and serves to fasten the block securely in its recess. Each block C has a binding-screw c, by means of which one end of afuse D, D of any suitable kind, is connected with the block. The other ends of the fuses are connected with the adjacent blocks B, as shown, by means of the binding screws b Holes a are made in the box at suitable places for screws by which to fasten it up against the wall or ceiling or other support. The compartments are covered by a lid E of mica, resting on a rabbeted shoulder a and held by a split pin F entering a hole 07 in the middle of the septum A. The pin has a head f, which is preferably secured to the lid E, so that the latter may be removed by pulling out the pin. The two line wires are laid in the grooves a a and connected with the blocks B by the hooks b and set-screws b. The two terminals of one branch are connected with the blocks C in the recesses 0;, and the terminals of the other branch with the blocks in the recesses a, the circuits being completed by the fuses D in one branch and the fuses D in the other. Then afuse melts, the metallic vapors are prevented by the septum A from passing from one compartment to the other, since the lid E fits down tight on the septum. Arcin g between the line poles B is thus provided against. Moreover, in case it is the fuse D which blows out, the septum A A prevents arcing between the pole B and the adjacent block C. This cut-out is cheaply made and is easily connected up and kept in order.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A fuse-box having a longitudinal septum dividing it into compartments, a recess at each end of each compartment, a hole in each compartment adjacent to one of said recesses, and extending through the back of the box, and a septum interposed between the hole and the adjacent recess, substantially as described.

2. A fuse-box, having a longitudinal septum dividingit into compartments, a recess at each end of each compartment, two parallel grooves running across the back of the box, a hole in minal block in each recess, a line pole clamping block in each hole, projecting at one end into one of the transverse grooves and at the other end into its compartment, and fuses connecting each pole-block with the branch terminal blocks at each end of its compartment, substantially as described.

OLOF OFFRELL.

W'itnesses:

EDWIN H. PARK, WALTER W. LOVEGROVE. 

